Jumpstart Automotive Media, a leading media, insights, and marketing solutions company, today announced an exclusive ad sales representation agreement with CarStory®, a website and app that matches car shoppers with the right vehicle using patented technology and industry-leading datasets.

CarStory, the automotive brand of big data company, Vast Inc., leverages data and analytics to provide customers the information they need to make educated car-buying decisions.…

Black Book, a division of Hearst Business Media that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, announced today it will power the online trade appraisal resource for NsightLive, a leading content engagement company that delivers quality leads to dealers through its pioneering Live content platform.

With Black Book’s trade appraisal engine, NsightLive is filling the void for independent auto dealers who currently do not…

Welcome to this week's edition of Black Book Market Insights, with in-depth analysis of used car and truck valuation trends and insights straight from the auction lanes. Click here to download…

At the recent Adobe Summit, executive vice president and general manager, Brad Rencher, advised businesses that if they wish to survive in the future, they have to become “experience businesses.” He feels this is what will separate market leaders from…

Texting has become a leading technology in B2C communication. Email and voicemail are long forgotten, and texting and text messaging apps are starting to reach their fullest potential. Customer support is using texting for numerous reasons, some of which include a…

Do you measure up? We spend so much money on television, radio, coupons, and other broadcasting for our marketing campaigns that we don't have a ton of attribution for.

So how do we track these results? 

On this week's Hard Facts, Samantha is giving you a tip to better measure how your campaigns are performing. By using UTM codes and Google Analytics, you'll be able to decipher where your traffic is coming…

Last year it was reported that the automotive industry would experience a shortage of 25,000 technicians in the coming months. This was based on a recent survey that showed the demand for auto mechanics is expected to increase by 9% within five years.

This shortage affects vehicle service operations across the board from boats and RVs to buses. Often dealers…

Make sure your salespeople stay on your customer’s radar through a scheduled follow-up plan. Don’t leave your monthly earnings up to chance by hoping for the best. Evaluate your current follow up process. Here is a sample schedule of what we’ve seen work well:

10 “Touches” Per Year

• Set up calendar…

Get potential customers to be less combative and more receptive to their trade-in value with a planned trade walk prior to serving them the proposal.

It’s said that around 65% of potential automobile customers have a trade-in to discuss, and most all of them have a higher price in mind that they want to get for that trade-in.

As we get into the…

The rapid development of communications technologies in the last quarter of a century has indeed transformed how people interact with each other — unfortunately, sometimes new technologies introduce inappropriate behavior. Sending sexually explicit text messages is one of these behaviors, it is called sexting.…

Convenience is one of the biggest factors that influences customers when choosing where to take their vehicles for service. For the younger generation it even trumps price. Independents know this and it is one of their key marketing messages, along with speed of service.

Dealers tend to fall behind in this type of messaging in general and have to fight…

Black Book, a division of Hearst Business Media that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, announced its latest Used Vehicle Retention Index figures, with the index listed at 113.0 at the end of March, a 0.8% decrease from the previous month’s mark of 113.9. Click here to obtain a copy of the latest index data.

The Black Book Used Vehicle Retention Index is calculated…

All progress starts with an idea. Industry titans such as Henry Ford or Thomas Edison both started with an idea. The idea centers on an individual observing a need and thinking through a solution that would solve it. Although there is never guarantee in every idea being successful. It is essential to…

When deciding how to get rid of your old car, you have a few options: sell, trade or donate. While donating seems like one of the easiest and most appealing ways to rid of a burden and contribute to a good cause, it takes more than just handing your keys over to an organization advertised on a billboard. Find out what makes a reputable charity, how your donation qualifies for a tax deduction, and much more with The Road Map to Car Donation. …

Digital signage is everywhere. If you go shopping, you see it on menu boards. If you go on a journey, you see it on big digital billboards. If you go car shopping, you see it in the dealership waiting room. This kind of advertising has become a normal way of engaging customers. Pretty straightforward as well. “Look at what we can offer you!” And people…

I absolutely love unsubscribes my from email list!

They are amazing, and I high five my team whenever I get some!

Why?

Because it means I’m getting noticed!

Let’s think about it… You only unsubscribe from…

It’s time to start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. So many times we avoid networking opportunities and meeting new people because it can lead to uncomfortable situations.

But, on this week’s Think Tank Tuesday, I give you 3 easy ways you can meet your new and potential customers. …